Power Gambit
by Shadow Oblivion
Summary: In a world beginning to fall apart, running away from a powerful presence was easier said than done. But all Law could do was run, and hope that his secret wasn't revealed. At the very least, one thing Doflamingo hadn't counted on was for Eustass Kid to give Law what he really needed. Shelter from his enemies, and an acceptance of his powers without strings attached. Modern AU
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hey hi yes another new kidlaw fic, I know.

This was originally supposed to be for the 2016/2017 opbigbang, but IRL stuff prevented me from actually getting it done within that time frame. I forgot about it for awhile but now that I've found it again and have been dwelling on it, I've decided that I want to share it instead of just leaving it in a folder. It's definitely one of those 'I wanted to try this idea' and see how it goes with these characters. And speaking of characters, I'm not going to question too much how Law's powers work in this fic. They just are what they are, overpowered and all that but with limitations that hopefully balance that out.

As an FYI before diving into this fic, be aware that this is one of those fics where I have Law get tormented physically (not sexually) and mentally, a lot, when he is around Doflamingo.

Warnings: Blood, violence, abuse, torture, likely PTSD mentions, messed up mind games.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

The mansion was eerily quiet that night.

Trafalgar Law found it unnerving, considering what he was up to.

It was distinctly uncomfortable to be doing this again, even if the circumstances were completely different, and his life was not immediately in any danger. Not like it had been when he had been ten, and everything he had known and loved had been taken from him. When his only option during those early years was to run and hide before he met the same fate.

The reason for his flight now, however, was unnervingly similar in both instances. It didn't fail to register in Law's mind that he was again being driven from relative safety, and all because of his powers that, from what he could tell, were unique to him, and him alone.

Not that those abilities would do him any good in aiding with his escape. Law had to make do without the use of those otherworldly powers to get out, lest someone pick up on a power surge. Law needed to run away as far as possible from the mansion and Doflamingo as was humanly possible. Each step Law took brought him further away from his room, and closer to escape. Closer to freedom. Each step was taken carefully so as to minimize any sound. Being caught sneaking around was a real risk that night, considering what had happened earlier in the day.

Law slipped from one shadow to another within the halls of the mansion, doing his upmost to be as silent as possible. It wouldn't do to make any unnecessary sounds because he had to be absolutely sure that he didn't draw anyone's attention. Law knew that Doflamingo had guards in his own mansion, and despite his insistence that it was to keep intruders out, Law knew very well that they were there to keep tabs on even the inhabitants of the building.

Namely, Law himself.

Ordinarily, no one in the mansion would have given a damn what he was up to, but Law knew that there were a few people who might question his frequent midnight wanderings. Everyone in Doflamingo's family knew that Law was something of an insomniac due to his past trauma. But right now, Law knew that if he were spotted wandering around in the dark, there would be consequences. There was no way Law would be able to get away with what he had in mind. Not if someone were to see him and the backpack that he carried over one shoulder. Not only was it well past midnight, but there was another, more important reason Law was being vigilant.

It wouldn't do to be caught skulking about in the dark like this, because earlier that afternoon Doflamingo had given him a strict order to not leave the mansion. Since the order had been given around other people, there was good chance that everyone in the family would have known about the order by now. Law had to be extra careful because odds were good that, if spotted, he would be brought back to his room, no matter how he tried to justify himself. Nothing could hold up against one of Doflamingo's orders, and Law was only just starting to realize now how everything that had kept him safe these past 14 years was now working against him.

Law peered around a corner at the end of the quiet hall, and his frame visibly relaxed when he again saw that he was alone. Good. He didn't have much farther to go before he would make it out onto the mansion grounds. Briefly closing his eyes, Law took a deep breath and let it out before he continued on. Law couldn't stop for too long to consider his actions right now. Law had made a decision, and he had to follow through with it before Doflamingo caught wind of his intentions.

It was ridiculous, really.

Doflamingo had to be overeating if he expected Law to not leave the mansion at all for an unspecified amount of time. The dark haired man still had work to do at the hospital. It wasn't like anyone was going to suddenly attack him at the hospital that he worked at or even target him in any specific way. Law had been very careful to keep his powers hidden from the rest of the world, and only Doflamingo and a select few of his 'family' knew about it. Law was perfectly safe at work.

As Law headed for a door at the end of another too long hallway, Doflamingo's words from earlier in the day drifted unbidden through Law's mind.

Fufufufu. See, Law? Didn't I tell you that I knew that this was going to happen? That it was only a matter of time?

'This' being the way their country, as well as others around the world, were collapsing in on themselves. Literally. Something had gone wrong, as the very landscapes they lived on seemed to be shifting. Holes were opening up in the ground, swallowing chucks of cities all around the world at an alarming rate, and disrupting energy flow from power plants.

Law swallowed nervously as he made his way down the hallway, his hair standing on end as if he were going to be spotted any second now. And still Doflamingo's voice dogged him, making what Law was doing incredibly more nerve racking than it needed to be.

You and I are going to have to have a little chat tomorrow, about what we talked about before you came to live here.

Law's stomach churned. He couldn't, wouldn't think about what that conversation would entail. Law had been feeling great while he had been living with Doflamingo and the rest of his 'family.' Law hadn't needed to overexert himself to survive. But now...now that the worst seemed to have finally come, as unexpected as it was, meant that Law had to get out of here. He had to. Even reaching the door did nothing to relax Law, and the dark haired man cautiously reached the door. With a shaking hand, Law rested his palm over the doorknob carefully, and then wrapped his hand around it the rest of the way. Law paused, waiting, as if expecting the door before him to burst open.

It didn't.

With a shake of his head, Law exited through the door, sighing to himself. Just because land in the the country and the people were beginning to riot didn't mean that the world was going to immediately collapse in on itself. It didn't mean that people would somehow magically find out about Law's peculiar ability. That Doflamingo believed the collapse of land across the world was a direct link to civilization coming to an end as they knew it was ridiculous enough. That the older man believed word would get out about Law was ludicrous at best. Law himself didn't believe that anyone in the area he lived in and worked actually know what he was capable of. Law was very careful to keep it secret. He merely worked his rounds as a surgeon in the Grand Line City hospital.

So long as nothing was said by the family, Doflamingo or Law himself, no one would ever know, and Law was smart enough to not showcase his ability to strangers any longer. Law was no fool. Not anymore. He knew what would happen if he got careless. What had happened when he was younger.

When Law had realized he had stranger powers, he had showed it off to his classmates all those years ago. At first, it had seemed like innocent childhood fun. Everyone he had shown his ability to had loved it. Powering up small electronics was applause-worthy to the other eight year olds that lived in town Law had been more than happy at the time to showcase the power. A lightbulb here. A few batteries there. Law had done nothing that shouted danger to the populace at large. Law had done nothing as a child that would have been an indication to outside powers that this was an ability that could be manipulated to their advantage.

Or used against them.

The wrong people found out about a ten year old's strange ability to power electrical objects some two years after it had been discovered.

Law had lost what he had cared about then. He had almost been killed by people who thought he should not exist. The only reason he had gotten away was because another group of people had wanted to capture him, presumably to use his powers for themselves. Law had made it away, a little battered but still alive and kicking and had wandered around alone, until he had come across Doflamingo and his family. Desperate for sanctuary of some kind, Law had shown Doflamingo his powers, as it was the only thing his young and rattled mind could think of to do. Law had shown Doflamingo those powers, in hopes that the older man would grant Law some sort of protection from the people who had been trying to kill him. Protection from those who had tried to capture him.

Had Law really thought about it, he would have seen the scheming look that had crossed Doflamingo's face for what it was. Law should have known that Doflamingo fell into the category of people that saw potential in Law's abilities, and how they could use it to their advantage. The only reason Law had stayed put was because Doflamingo had merely told him to not use his powers. To not use them around anyone other than him and a few select members of his family, if at all. That Law wouldn't have to worry about being taken advantage of.

Law knew better now.

The secrecy had been to protect him, yes, but to also prevent others from catching wind of it.

Law ground his teeth. He had been further assured, at the age of ten, that the only reason Doflamingo would want him to use his powers again would be if the world started to crumble in on itself. And if there was a sudden need for electricity and something to power machines. Ten year old Law couldn't imagine anything worse happening in the world then losing his family, so he had foolishly agreed, thinking it impossible for the world to get any worse than it already was.

Law shook his head as he quietly made his way down some stairs, but at the sound of a door, he sucked in a quick breath at the sound of voices. Law pressed himself against the nearest wall, sinking down along the cold stone, barely daring to breathe as he willed the voices to go in another direction. His heart rate increased when the voices seemed to draw nearer, before it began to quiet down. Law let out a slow breath, his whole body going limp with relief. There were some people in the building that Law truly did not want to run in to after getting a direct order from Doflamingo.

One man in particular, Vergo, he would do well to avoid at all costs, which meant Law had to get out of there before anyone realized he was out of his room.

Law fought down the panic that threatened to well up and out at the thought of being caught mid-escape. WIth a press of his hand to his chest, Law took another, steadying breath before letting it out and forcing his body to relax. Another few breaths and Law had his breathing back under control. Straightening from the wall, Law finished descending down the stairs, and slipped out of the door at the base of the stairs. Law emerged into a quiet, expansive lawn, and for once, he didn't see the appeal of having such a ridiculous amount of grounds, along with a wall surrounding the entirety of the property. Due to Doflamingo's certainty that within less than two decades the world would basically go savage, the man had decided to live as far away from civilization as he could get. That way, he would be able to gather up resources and wait out the inevitable looting and fighting the people of the county may fall into.

The man was insane, Law had thought, but powerful enough to deter anyone from trying to threaten or harm him. Law wondered if Doflamingo would find the most advantageous city once things had settled, and implement his plan to stay atop the rabble he considered beneath him.

Doflamingo was crazy, but it was that very plan of his that had Law going on the run that night. It was a plan that included Law, and his willingness to go along with what Doflamingo had planned for him.

Law regretted agreeing so easily to the older man's terms, without thinking of the consequences. Law hadn't used his powers often, but once he was safe, Law had begun testing them out again some years into living with Doflamingo. It was during that time that Law had realized that making use of his powers took a toll on his body, and his life. Law hadn't exactly said as much to Doflamingo. Law had merely stated that he wouldn't be able to help as much as he and Doflamingo thought he would be able to, but the blond had seemed so sure of Law's ability that he dismissed Law's concerns.

Don't dwell on it too much, Law. It isn't like the world is coming to an end. Yet. Having you assist with powering generators and the like will only happen if the world goes to shit.

Much to Law's astonishment earlier that day, it appeared then and there that the world was indeed going to shit, and that made Doflamingo's years ago promise to have Law help him become a cold, harsh reality. The older man's off-handed comments and insistence of the world coming to some kind of end was no longer some amusing, unbelievable thing. An uncomfortable feeling had settled itself into Law's stomach, and it sat there with every passing hour, making Law nauseous as he considered what was going on.

The reasoning had ended with Law deciding that he was no longer safe.

The dark haired man wasn't exactly sure whether Doflamingo would consider him sneaking away as an act of rebellion or if he would consider it a traitorous act. Law didn't particularly care at that point in time, because all he could feel was that he had to leave, and leave now. Especially over the news of even more land collapsing and sinking into the ground all over the world. Fights were breaking out more and more land was cracking with no sign of ending. There were still police and other forces keeping the peace for the most part, but it was only a matter of time before they were outnumbered or they defected and joined the rank of the masses acting out as fear of the unknown took over rational thought.

Law stealthily made his way along the mansion grounds, ducking behind statues and hedges. Law made his way toward the small, not often used side gate out of the mansion grounds that he knew would lead into the dense surrounding forest. Law shifted the backpack he wore over both of his shoulders now, hoping that he had grabbed enough supplies to last him until he found a grocery store to buy food with the cash he had stolen. Law didn't dare risk tipping anyone off that he was running away by stealing food from the kitchen.

You need to leave this place, Law. You don't want to stay here with Doffy. You don't fully understand what he has planned for you. You will never truly be free if you stay here. This mansion will become a prison before too long. Please listen to me, Law.

Rocinante's warnings sounded in his mind as Law neared the gate. He'd been given the warning six years ago, when Law had been 18 years old. It was the last time Law had seen Rocinante. Law had no idea what had happened to Doflamingo's younger brother, and Law knew better than to ask Doflamingo, as the man hadn't deemed the disappearance important enough to speak about. But Law would have told Rocinante that he was wrong about not knowing what Doflamingo had in store for him.

There was no doubt in Law's mind now that Doflamingo had only kept him around for his powers. Law knew that part of the reason that Doflamingo had ordered him to not leave the mansion was because the blond was more than likely assessing the situation. Planning on when he would need to make a move to prevent any other players from thinking they could take control of a broken world.

If any of that craziness actually came to pass.

Just because things didn't look good right now didn't meant they wouldn't turn around. Then Law could go back to ignorantly thinking that he was safe, and that Doflamingo wasn't the most dangerous person for him to be around right now. Doflamingo wanted him for his power. A power that Law didn't know how or why he had it. Law regretted now more than ever showing Doflamingo what he could do all those years ago.

Law had to escape, now.

If he didn't, Law had an uneasy feeling that he would become what some of his elusive, mostly gone and dead enemies had feared from the beginning. A power source to Doflamingo, something to be used and taken advantage of to gain power himself. Law desperately wished to avoid that at all costs. If Law hadn't believed that Doflamingo would actually force him to power things for him in a world that had begun to go crazy, Law never would have stepped foot out of his home of the past 14 years.

That idea of Doflamingo eventually revealing Law's powers presented another problem that Law wondered if Doflamingo had considered. If Law were to power things for the man, who was to say that the populace wouldn't realize what the source of that sudden power was? If word were to get out of what Law was capable of, then everyone would want Law for themselves. If that happened, Law was certain that Doflamingo would lock him up in a room if need be to prevent him from being taken. And if that came to pass, Law would never be free, and the dark haired man despaired that he had not been more insistent that Rocinante take him with him when Law had last seen the man.

Law shook the thought from his mind as he carefully eased the gate open, and his footsteps become faster, careless, as he made straight for the forest. The first step in preventing that scenario was to get away and regroup. Figure out what his options were. Figure out where he would be safe. Law felt anxious all of a sudden, and broke into a run, the need to flee stronger now that he was out in the open.

He didn't make it very far, because Law wasn't as alone as he thought.

Law had no warning before he was struck harshly in the abdomen with a fist. The flare of pain caused Law to double over in an instant, the agony shooting throughout his body. With a choked, surprised gasp, Law crumpled to the ground and curled in on himself.

Vergo.

It had to be Vergo.

Had he been following Law this whole time?

The realization of who had just struck him threw Law into a panic. Despite the hitch in his breath as he uncurled, Law shook his backpack off and hastily roll out of the way of his assailant. Instead of continuing to run away like he should have, Law lashed out with a foot and caught Vergo in the shin. Without daring to look to see whether the kick had had an effect or not, Law surged to his feet and made for the nearby cluster of trees, his heart hammering in his chest.

Law didn't get very far before his attacker seized him and roughly swung a fist into his gut again This time Law completely lost his breath as he gasped in heaving breaths, desperate for air. It hurt. The pain seemed to settle in, and for a moment, he forgot how to breath. He was spiraling, and he couldn't focus. Law knew who had punched him, and he knew that he should have known better than to think that Doflamingo wouldn't guess that he'd try to run. Not after all the news being broadcasted about the end of a civilized world. Law let out a faint whimper when he was seized by the back of his shirt and given a rough shake.

"Doffy told you not to leave the mansion."

Law shook a little as Vergo gripped him by the back of his shirt. Was the man going to strike him again? Law's eyes had closed, as he was still struggling to get a good breath of air. Law was unprepared for Vergo to heft him up and send him roughly through the air, presumably back through the gate. Law stumbled from the force, and, unable to regain his footing as his feet touched the grass, went tumbling along the ground until he came to a rest on his side. Law heard himself let out a faint whimper again, unused to being harmed in any way for so many years. It hurt, hitting the ground like that, but not as much as it was going to hurt if he let Doflamingo have his way with his powers. While Doflamingo knew what he was capable of, he didn't know that it caused Law discomfort if he used his power for too long. Law knew for certain that he would not last for long with the amount of power Doflamingo would want him to generate. It would drain him too quickly, and Law would more than likely die within a few years if he were to constantly use his powers.

"Get back inside."

Law let out a cough and finally sucked in a deep breath. He was still taken aback and wincing from the pain of the sudden, unexpected reality of being thrown. Of being hurt after so many years of no one daring to lay a hand on him. Law heard a thump above his head, and knew that it had to be his backpack being tossed before him. A clang rang out, and the sound let Law know that Vergo had closed the gate, a clear indication that Law had no choice but to go back into the mansion.

"Doffy figured that you would try to leave when you finally realized what he had planned for you."

Law grimaced as he forced himself to his hands and knees, head bowed as he struggled to even out his breathing. This wasn't good. There was no way that he stood a chance of running away now that Vergo was there. The man wouldn't let Law leave his sight until he was back inside his room. And if Law didn't go willingly, he knew that Vergo would have no problem whatsoever beating him into submission and dragging his unconscious body along the mansion halls.

The thought made Law sick to his stomach. This wasn't good at all. It was the worst-case scenario that Law had been desperate to avoid. Law's right hand rose to settle gingerly against his abdomen, and winced as even that little of a touch sent a flare of agony through him.

"You should have known from the moment that Doffy took you in that it was only because of your ability. He said that he's prepared to make things unpleasant for you if you refuse to listen to him. He did keep you safe all these years."

Law raised his head just the slightest bit to see that Vergo stood before the small gate, blocking it. Law squeezed his eyes shut and hung his head. Law knew that it was highly likely that if he were to step back inside the mansion now, he would be collected and locked in his room until Doflamingo was sure that he wouldn't try and run. And to be certain of Law's obedience to him, Doflamingo would likely assign someone to keep an eye on him 24/7.

"Don't keep Doffy waiting."

Those words sent a chill through Law.

It seemed he'd made a mistake all those years ago. By placing his trust in Doflamingo for the safety that was offered, Law had found out too late that what he wanted for himself didn't matter. All Doflamingo wanted was his power, and what the older man wanted, he would get, one way or another, whether Law liked it or not.

Law grit his teeth. He was a fool for believing that someone would protect him without wanting to make use of his powers in return. Law had given his loyalty, for the most part, to Doflamingo, and he had worked in a hospital at the older man's insistence these past 6 years. But apparently, it wasn't enough. And now, Law was to pay for all of those years of safety in a way that he knew he couldn't maintain for long without eventually killing himself from overexertion.

Trapped.

He was trapped, and there was only one thing Law could think of to do that could possibly get him away from Doflamingo and the mansion. Law placed a hand on the ground to brace himself, shakily taking in a breath, and then another, in an attempt to steady himself. If he screwed this up, Doflamingo was sure to find out about a closely guarded secret. One that had nothing to do with Law being able to generate electrical power for machines. A secret that Law had kept to himself for nearly all his life.

Law raised his head and met Vergo's eyes, the younger man's breathing evening out as he slipped into a calm, almost detached state of mind. If Vergo knocked him out, it was over. Law had to act fast in order to save himself, and he only had one shot to get it right.

With his freedom on the line, Law refused to waste his one chance to escape.

It was now or never.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

A/N: I figured it would be nice to work on something that has been already written out for the most part from beginning to end, and that working on this fic will perhaps help me get some inspiration to work on my other wips that don't have as in depth outlines/summaries.

I am hoping to be able to get through this at a good pace, but, as always, shit happens in real life so there will perhaps be delays as I edit and expand in some areas of the typed summary of this fic. My hope is that as soon as I finish with this fic, I'll feel motivated and inspired to do the same with some of my other fics.


	2. Chapter 2

Vergo appeared to be content to wait for Law to obey. From Vergo's expression, however, the man would not be waiting for Law for very long. It was quite clear that Vergo was not pleased to be outside of the mansion late at night to deal with him.

But that short amount of time Law had been given was enough. Law was able to quickly and carefully plan out how exactly he was going to go about this. Since he only had one chance to get this right, Law needed to figure out how to make use of his power without Vergo catching wind of it. Already, Law felt cold and numb over the idea that Doflamingo himself wanted to see him after he'd basically tried to run. It was a terrifying prospect. There was no telling what the man would say or do, and Law did not want to stick around long enough to find out. He had to get out of there. Now.

"Doffy isn't a very patient man." A not so subtle warning to get moving or face further consequences.

Law got to his feet slowly, swaying as his right hand crossed over his stomach with a light touch. There was a throbbing in his abdomen and Law felt that it would likely bruise from the strike. Law's hand twitched. He was perfectly aware that Vergo could have struck him much harder than he had.

Obviously, Doflamingo hadn't wanted Law to be too injured badly. Just brought under control. To be sure that the urge to flee or fight had been stomped out of him. For Law to be cowed when he was brought before Doflamingo.

Law wore a self-deprecating smile at the very thought and carefully tested his range of movement. He flexed his hands, his right carefully placed on the ground beneath him with his left. Then, with barely an outward motion, tested his legs. Sore but nothing that couldn't be ignored for the time being.

Everything seemed to be in order.

Law could tell that he was still capable of movement, even if he was a little tender where he had been punched. Good enough condition to test fate. Law slowly, carefully reached out to retrieve his backpack, as if listening to Vergo's words.

"Doffy is in the living room."

Law stood up with his backpack and secured it over both shoulders. Law sucked in shaky breath and took a few unsteady steps toward the mansion. He heard Vergo start to move after him, and slowly slipped a hand into his pocket. Law's hand closed around a rock he had picked up.

Now.

He had to move now.

Pivoting, Law launched a rock at Vergo.

Not the brightest idea, because Vergo had been anticipating some form of insubordination, because the man was already moving. Without batting an eye, Vergo casually swatted the damn rock out of midair like it was nothing to him. Law forced his body into movement, and there was luck on his side that he managed to outpace Vergo for a short time on the mansion grounds. Law made it outside of another gate, but that was when he faltered. Law's breath hitched, his hand going to his gut.

No.

Not now.

He wasn't far enough away yet.

Apparently Vergo had hit Law harder than he had initially expected, and that one moment of hesitation was enough for Vergo to get to him.

Pain exploded through Law's body as Vergo roughly cuffed him over the head, at the same time wrapping a hand around the dark haired man's left arm. With a sharp gasp escaping him, Law felt himself dragged in close to Vergo for a much more punishing blow to the gut. Law doubled over, his body going limp as Vergo got a hand around his neck and pinned him up against a nearby tree.

"Don't make this difficult."

Quite unnecessarily, Vergo pressed Law's left shoulder roughly into the tree at the same time he tightened his right hand against Law's throat.

Law wheezed as he fought to get his right hand around Vergo's that was around his throat. The grasp tightened, causing Law to whimper as the pressure around his throat tightened, which made his sight start to speckle at the sides. Law desperately lashed out with a foot, catching Vergo's shin, but it only made the man tighten his grip. Law flinched when something shifted in his shoulder at Vergo's sudden jerk of it. The agony that followed made Law go completely limp, breath shaky at the sharp pain. Law couldn't believe that the other man had just dislocated his left arm. Fear of what else the man might do to him filtered through Law's pain hazed mind, but one thing pushed past that agony.

Escape.

Vergo appeared to be satisfied with Law's apparent submission, because he let up on the pressure around Law's throat.

Law sucked in a grateful breath of air, but it didn't last, as Vergo roughly jerking Law away by his dislocated left arm. The pain was so sharp and burning that Law couldn't even let out a scream of agony. To add insult to injury, Vergo let go of the abused limb after shoving Law to the ground.

Law collapsed to the ground with a weak yelp of protest, all he could manage through the jagged flare of agony that shot through his arm and along the rest of his body. Law let out a soft moan of pain and rolled to his right side to get the pressure off his wounded shoulder.

"Damn brat. Doffy didn't want it to have to come to this, but if you insist on trying to run, he said to make sure that you can't."

Law was aware of Vergo kneeling next to him, but Law couldn't do much more than shake from the shock and pain of his dislocated shoulder. He couldn't stop shaking either. Law felt Vergo slip a hand under his head, and this was followed by something cool against his skin. Law struggled briefly until Vergo grasped the back of his neck in warning. With a faint sound, Law went still, not wanting to encourage the other man to cause any more damage to the back of his head where he'd been initially struck.

Vergo went back to settling something slim and cool around Law's neck, and let Law's head rest back on the ground.

Law felt something slim tighten around his neck and throat, until it was snug. There was a click, and then Vergo's hands drew away.

With a surge of revulsion, Law realized that it was a collar that Vergo has put on him. Before Law could think about what that meant, Law suddenly found himself unable to prevent his ability from trickling out in the direction of the collar. Law tried in vain to prevent his power from flowing out at that small rate, but he couldn't. Somehow, the collar prevented Law from keeping control over his powers. Law saw out if the corner of his eyes that Vergo has risen to his feet, but Law was too distracted by the collar to figure out why. Not to mention that Law was having trouble getting his breath back under control.

Vergo stepped a short way away, and Law had to force himself to calm down in order to try to think rationally through the pain.

This was it.

His window of opportunity to escape, because Law had one thing that Doflamingo didn't know about. Another ability of his that drew on his power. One Law knew he should keep to himself, but right now, he had to gamble and hope that it aided him in his escape, like he thought before. Law was able to tap the other ability because it wasn't drawn to the metal in the collar as his power to produce energy for electrical machines was. There was a reason Law was doing so well as a doctor in the hospital, and it wasn't completely due to the skills he'd learned over the years through his schooling.

Law feigned weakness as Vergo approached him, and as soon as the man bent down to pick him up, Law surged u and off of the ground as he got his dislocated arm around Vergo's neck. With difficulty, Law forced his right hand at an angle so that the hand was on Vergo's chest. Law's eyes narrowed as he focused and his hand twitched after he found what he was looking for.

Vergo made as if to throw Law down and instead jerked, mouth moving soundlessly before blood started to dribble out. Vergo let go of Law as the man collapsed to the ground, unmoving and not breathing.

Exhaustion swept over Law but he knew that what he had done had worked. Vergo wouldn't hurt him again. He'd stopped the man's heart. Yet another reason Law figured the people from his past would have used to try to kill him, had they known of it. Law knew that what he could do really was unnatural, and dangerous. Especially if Law actually choose to use his powers to cause harm. The power he had just used was a branch off of the hidden healing ability he had. It wasn't much, just a few modifications here and there, but with practice, Law could manipulate someone's body from the inside, like leveling out blood pressure, or in the case of Vergo, stopping a heart.

Law let out a slow sigh, wincing as he carefully felt his left arm. He figured that he could likely do more than heal the minor cuts he'd healed secretly on people here and there without their knowledge. He had done the test just to see what he could do, but Law didn't really feel like exploring it, as it reminded him of how different he was from everyone else. And because there was always the chance that Doflamingo or someone who worked for him might find out and insist he practice and hone those abilities.

Law just figured someone like Doflamingo might take a liking to what those healing abilities could do, and Law had no interest in torturing people, which was something he most certainly could have done had he felt like it. But for now, Law could now escape, and get as far away as possible from the unmoving Vergo. Cradling his left arm, Law staggered off, not bothering to try to take the backpack off. The longer he walked, the more Law realized that he would have to find a way to get the dratted collar off of him. It was draining him too much, making his power unwillingly drain to the metal of the collar. It presumably had something electrical inside to make it work but a tracking device was highly probable. The mere thought of that made Law ill. He'd known what Doflamingo was capable of, but it wasn't until Law was in a position to be exploited in the very near future that made him realize just how foolish it was to seek sanctuary with the man at all. A throb from his dislocated shoulder indicated to Law that he needed to find someone to get his shoulder back into place as soon as possible.

But first, he needed to find somewhere to hide.

Law lost track of the time as he stumbled along, but alarm hadn't been raised. Not yet. There was no one that had come to swoop down on him. He had time. Law had time to find somewhere to hide and decide what to do next. Law had to assume that he was on his own, and that he needed to be cautious about who he chose to interact with. The collar was going to be a problem, and so the first thing Law figured he would have to do is to try and find a scarf to cover it up.

Some hours later, Law ran across an abandoned hospital, and found it very dusty and crumbling, as if it had been falling apart for some time. It obviously had nothing to do with the current state the world was in now, what with all the sinkholes appearing at alarming rates. It looked stable enough, so Law ducked inside through a broken door, figuring that at the very least, it would have many hiding places. It would give him more time to try and figure out how to get the collar off. A tracking device would likely show him in the building but Law was riding on the hope that it wasn't too sophisticated so that people would actually have to look for him.

There was no way Doflamingo had a floor plan of every building in the city, right?

Deep in thought as he was, Law failed to notice that he was not as alone as he thought. Had he been feeling better, Law would have realized that he was not the only one going to the abandoned hospital.

Law went up to the second floor of the decrepit, dusty building and found a small room with a window half boarded up. The door was stuck in the frame, but the door had been kicked in a some point. Law considered the small opening and deduced that the entrance through the door to the room was just big enough for him to squeeze through. Law chose to ignore the flare of pain it caused his dislocated shoulder as he passed through the warped, broken wood of the door.

Law curled up on the ground, heedless of how dirty it was. With a faint groan of pain, Law removed his backpack and used it as a pillow. He was hurt, exhausted, and drained from the collar around his neck. He needed to rest. Needed to get some of his strength back. It would be a brief rest, and in the quiet of the broken building, Law dozed off into an uneasy slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

In one of the apartments in the residential area of Grand Line City, a certain individual was having a good laugh over the news. Disheveled red hair stuck up in all directions, and amused amber eyes watched the reports on the news with increasing levels of laughter. It was enough for the man to wake his roommate up, but the red head ignored the other man in favor of grinning in bemusement at the TV.

Eustass Kid was having a great morning. Fantastic, in fact, despite being half annoyed and half entertained by something he had heard on the news earlier. With that particular news, it meant that his days were either going to get better, or worse, It all depended on whether or not people got their shit together and did something about all the ground that was collapsing under their feet. Kicking up his own feet to rest on the coffee table, Kid settled in to watch the chaos that was unfolding on the flat-screen TV.

'Another section of Grand Line City has begun to crumble into a large sinkhole that has been expanding since last week. Another area-'

"Kid, what are you doing?" The long, blond haired roommate paused inside of the small kitchen, and frowned from beneath long bangs. "Don't you have to get to work soon?" Eyes narrowed at the sight of his roommate wearing nothing but a pair of boxers while lounging comfortably across the couch.

"Don't got any work to go to now, Killer." Kid twisted sideways to offer a grin at his friend, and waved a hand lazily at the television with the news reporter droning on. "Another part of the city got swallowed up by that sinkhole about an hour and a half ago. Guess what area it happened to be this time."

"The shop is gone?" Killer paused, his hand reaching for something in the fridge. The blond slowly drew back and appeared to fix his gaze on Kid. "Is it really gone?"

"Yeah." Kid snorted, flopping back down onto the couch as he rested a hand over his bare stomach. "No more cars or bikes to fix, and that damn old geezer ran off before giving me my paycheck. Bastard. Good thing I've been saving up since shit started going down."

"What are you going to do?" Killer asked, closing the fridge.

"It'll be interesting to see what happens." Kid commented, ignoring his roommate's question. "I wonder if people can get their shit back together or if it's going to be every man for themselves." Kid laughed. "Shit, what if people start to cluster together to rule sections of the city like in some of those distopian books?"

"I didn't know that you read." Killer tried and failed to hide a laugh.

"Fuck you." Kid bristled, sitting up on the couch with a scowl as he shut the TV off.

"You sound far too happy over what's happening in the world." Killer said, pretending he hadn't teased his friend.

"Well, yeah, I always thought it was boring, living by the rules anyway." Kid said with a snort. "A little leeway here and there wouldn't hurt. I like the idea of not having to pay for anything. I can just barter for supplies. I'd be good at that." Kid flexed his muscles and added, with a wolfish grin. "And hey, if things take too long to get settled, I can always muscle my way through a crowd and take what I want."

"You're lousy at negotiations, Kid, so I would have to be the one to talk to people." A faint smile appeared. "You'd be the additional muscle in case something goes wrong and a fight breaks out." Killer caught the wrist of a fist that had been swung at him. Killer continued to speak, not at all bothered by the angry eyes fixed on him. "For all you know, the land could settle and things could go back to normal as soon as tomorrow."

"Good to know you have so little faith in my ability to convince people of stuff." Kid said, giving his wrist a faint tug.

Killer didn't let go.

With a frown, Kid sighed, "And yeah right, it's been going on for weeks, all over the world. It doesn't seem like the ground is going to be finished opening up and destroying shit any time soon." Almost as soon as Kid stopped speaking, the building shuddered and screams could be heard in the distance.

Silence briefly rang in the apartment before Killer slowly let go of Kid's wrist.

"I'm bored." Kid said suddenly as he wandered over to his bedroom. "Call the guys up and see if they wanna go shopping for supplies before those stores get swallowed up by the dirt too."

"Please don't wear your knives today, Kid. Even if the police are otherwise occupied they are going to notice." Killer called over his shoulder. With a shake of his head at Kid's answering laugh, Killer briefly ducked into his room to change into clothes better suited for the day. Namely a tank top and jeans.

Ten minutes later, and Kid was silently fuming by the front door of the apartment as he stowed away the knives that he had strapped to his open black shirt.

Killer refused to budge from blocking the door until the weapons were out of sight.

"Any word from the guys?" Kid ventured as he spread his hands to indicate that he had hidden the knives on his person.

"Yes, it seems like they were out buying things but now, most of the businesses are overflowing and its taking too long to check out." Killer said, as he nodded his approval and opened the door. "Wire and Heat and the others are suggesting we go to the abandoned buildings in the city before anyone else does."

"Breaking and entering?" Kid perked up.

"You really are far too pleased over the idea of breaking the law, aren't you?" Killer sighed.

"Of course I am." Kid said with a snort. "It's exciting."

"...Do you really have to wear that lipstick?" Killer ventured as they walked down the hall of the apartment. "It's a different color than usual and-"

"C'mon Killer, let me have my fun. " Kid slapped his friend's shoulder. "I always wanted to dress up like a pirate and raid shit without the cops coming after my ass."

Killer shook his head wordlessly as he exited the building.

"You know, you should get a mask, Killer. You could look like one of those horror movie villains. You do have those two curved blades in your room. It would be awesome-looking." Kid said as he leered at people on the streets and sent them scurrying along. "Shit." Kid moved out of range of Killer's hand, which had slapped him upside the head.

"Maybe." Killer said. "I'll think about it."

"So, where are they now?" Kid asked, as he watched with interest as a dust plume rose up in the distance to his left.

"You remember that hospital that they closed down around 50 years ago?" Killer questioned.

"The one that's supposed to be abandoned?" Kid asked, "And haunted?" The last was said with a disbelieving snort. "More like no one's given a shit to do anything about it sitting there and just left it to rot. What could possibly be worth going there for?"

"Medical supplies." Killer said, as if this should have been obvious, "Those would be important to have, just in case. What if the Grand Line City hospital was swallowed up by the ground in the near future? Or other hospitals in neighboring cities? There's only so much the smaller clinics can do, and they would run out of supplies quickly if more people started showing up."

"Well, let's get going then." Kid said as he looked around for his motorcycle, only to go rigid in shock. "Fuck." Kid uttered, denial heavy in that single word.

"Kid?" Killer asked, not liking the horrified look that had appeared on his roommate's face.

"I left it parked outside of work." Kid clenched his fist, furious over the sudden demise of his motorcycle. "Dammit."

"Let's use my car." Killer waited patiently for Kid to storm around on the sidewalk in a brief tantrum over losing his motorcycle. Once the anger had gone to a low simmer, Killer directed Kid to the car.

"Fucking old geezer owes me a new ride now too." Kid muttered mutinously in the passenger seat of Killer's car. His dark mood lasted for most of the ride, until, an hour later, the old, run down hospital came into view. The red haired mechanic perked up at the sight, the idea of breaking and entering a 'do not enter' building overriding the loss of his motorcycle. "Damn, this place is bigger than I thought it would be." Kid eyed the building looming before them as Killer parked the car.

"Don't wander off until we meet up with Heat and the others." Killer commented as he got out of the car.

"Fuck you. I ain't a child, Killer." Kid got out of the car and attempted to make eye contact with his roommate, pointedly drawing out the blades he'd hidden previously and strapped them back in view. Kid glowered at Killer as if daring his friend to tell him to put them away again. Instead, all Kid got was a shrug as Killer began to walk toward the front of the building, where a few people had gathered. Kid bristled at being ignored. "I know you heard me, Killer."

No response.

"Dammit." Kid grumbled, and prowled across the grass after Killer to go join the rest of his friends. Soon, just talking about how they were going to enter the abandoned building took Kid's mind off of Killer's comment to not wander off. Kid was pleased when it was decided that he and Killer would just go ahead and break down the warped front door of the entrance to the hospital, as it was already partially open and broken anyway.

"Damn, this place is a dump." Kid commented after he and Killer forced the door open to one side, and Kid was able to see what the lobby looked like.

"It has been abandoned." Wire spoke from Kid's left, arms crossed and eyeing the building with something akin to curiosity.

"Looks like some people have already been in here though." Heat raised a hand and pointed out the graffiti that was on the far side of the wall as Kid entered the building.

"Well, of course someone came here before. It's abandoned." Kid returned with a laugh, as he studied the large words painted on the wall. Kid looked to his left, and then right, and cracked up at the words spray painted there too, all in capital letters.

DEATH

SMILE

THE DEVIL IS BEHIND YOU

Kid snickered at that last one, and he called out to Heat, who was inspecting the words. "Oy, Heat, turn around."

"What?" The wavy haired man asked as he turned. Seeing Kid spread his hands and grin, Heat looked back at the wall, and then to Kid once more, before shaking his head. "Very mature."

"Of course." Kid said, puffing up importantly. "I could give the devil a run for his money."

"How? By beating him in a mechanic showdown?" Killer asked as he walked past Kid to look at the faded map of the hospital. Killer missed Kid flipping him off, as the gathered group laughed and Heat patted Kid on a shoulder.

"You'd win for sure, boss."

Kid snorted at the nickname and shrugged Heat's hand off of his shoulder as he stomped along the dusty floor toward a set of stairs. "I'm gonna take a look around since Killer apparently doesn't have a sense of humor."

"I do have a sense of humor." Killer said without looking away from the map.

"Yeah, a shitty one that doesn't appreciate good jokes." Kid grumbled, before waving a hand at Wire. "C'mon, let's go see if this dump has anything useful in it."

As Kid and Wire took the stairs to the second floor of the hospital, Kid had not at all expected to find a real live person of all things in the dark, creepy hospital.

-x -x-x-

Law woke to the sound of loud, laughing voices. Law froze up on the ground where he had been curled up when he heard heavy footsteps approach the room he'd squeezed himself in to. Panic slowly began to set in. Had Doflamingo's people already located him before he had a chance to get further away and remove the collar?

How long had he been asleep?

Law shifted into a seated position wrong and let out a sharp cry of pain. The voices that Law had heard quieted, and Law cursed inwardly when he spotted a pair of boots halt right in front of the jammed door. He'd been heard, and Law's hope was that whoever it was, they were too big to come in through the broken door after him. Law got an eyeful of rather ugly spotted yellow pants tucked into the boots, before the person crouched and the rest of the garish ensemble appeared. A blue sash was around the man's waist and he wore an open chest black shirt over a nicely muscled body, and over the broad shoulder was draped what looked like a partially black, partially reddish furred coat with spikes on it. The look was completed with tacky looking golden cuffs secured over each of the man's wrists.

If Law hadn't been feeling so shitty he might have smirked over the fact that this guy was dressing up like a pirate or something.

Law couldn't help but raise a brow when he noticed all the knives strapped the man's chest, before Law turned his attention to the man's face. There was lipstick hastily scrawled on over thin lips, and a pair of goggles was keeping a shock of red hair from falling into the man's face. There was humor in those amber eyes, coupled with a grin hovering around those painted lips. The sight kind of pissed Law off, but he was in too much agony to do much more than scrunch defensively against the wall and glare at the red haired man as if to warn him off.

"What the fuck are you doing in there?" The red head laughed when Law pressed against the wall further. "You look like shit, by the way."

"Why are you here?" Law shouldn't have said anything but he couldn't help himself as he added, "Did you burn your eyebrows on the way up the stairs by chance?" It was a fair question, as Law had just noticed the lack of eyebrows above the man's eyes.

"Oy, Killer, there's some weirdo hiding in here." The red head shouted to the side.

"What did you do now, Kid?" A voice that sounded tired asked from somewhere down the hall.

"I didn't do shit." The red head, Kid, apparently, shot back defensively. "I just found him in a room here."

"Come help me carry this stuff."

"Fuck Killer, fine. I'll be there in a sec." Kid turned his attention back to Law, head titling to get a better look. "You should come out of there. Can't be comfortable."

Law kept his back firmly to the wall, as far away from the entry to the door as he could. Law saw that Kid had crouched further down and appeared to be awaiting a response. Slowly, carefully, Law raised his right hand, and gave Kid the middle finger.

There was a brief pause as Kid stared at the finger jabbed in his direction, before he let out a laugh and stood before he walked away, "Hey, Killer, guess what?" Another pause, until Kid reached whoever this 'Killer' was.

"Seeing as the 'weirdo' isn't with you, I'm guessing you upset him in some way."

"Fuck you, Killer. I'm a people person."

"No, you're not."

"Fine, I'm persuasive."

"With a fist, maybe."

Kid merely laughed at that, as if entertained.

Law was wary and tense as he waited, back still against the wall behind him as if half-expecting Kid to come back and pester him. Instead, the voices in the building slowly began to die down, until the only thing that Law could hear was his own shallow, pained breathing. Minutes went by, and in the quiet that followed, Law was lulled into a false sense of security. Pushing carefully away from the wall, Law futilely reached up with his right hand and tried to remove the collar from around his neck. It didn't budge. It remained snug around his neck. With a soft sigh, Law gingerly lie down on the dirty floor beneath him, figuring that he would get some further rest. When his thoughts were clearer, he would go about trying to rid himself of the collar again. It was unpleasant, and made Law have little to no control over his ability as he was forced to emit a small amount of power directly into the collar itself at all times.

It was draining.

Exhausting.

Law closed his eyes, thinking to take another brief rest while he could. It didn't last long, because Law woke himself up a half hour later with a pained moan for jostling his dislocated shoulder and then his sore abdomen. Law rested his right hand over his left arm carefully, and let out a humorless laugh over the thought that while he could use his healing ability on others, he couldn't heal himself. Law stretched his legs out again, letting out a soft sound over being in a small, cramped room. A scuff of a boot sounded loudly in the relative silence. Too late did Law react to the sudden noise, and before he knew it, a hand clamped down on his nearest ankle.

Law immediately tired to pull away, twisting and kicking out with his other foot at the hand, only to have that ankle snatched by the person's other hand. Law frantically reached up with his right hand and gripped the chain sticking out of the wall tight. His grip was painfully weak, and Law knew that he was powerless to resist whoever it was that had just seized him. The hands gave a firm tug, and with a cry of pain Law let go of the chain as he was dragged out of the small opening, which jostled his arm. Feeling his ankles let go of seemed suspicious, but Law was so desperate to hide that he tried to crawl back into the small room he'd hidden in. Before Law could get too far, he suddenly found both wrists seized and pinned over his head. Law squeezed his eyes shut as his mouth opened in a soundless scream at the way it pulled on his left shoulder.

It hurt.

It hurt it hurt it hurt.

Law was dimly aware of the hand that gripped his wrists tight, and reluctantly turned over when the person urged him to do so. Anything to get the burning agony to stop. Law wasn't sure if it was his anguished expression or if he had actually let out a pained cry when he rested on his back, but his wrists were freed soon after. Law didn't dare move. He was in pain, and he didn't know who it was that was with him. If it was one of Doflamingo's 'family', doing anything to resit in this instance would more than likely equal more agony than was necessary.

Law really had chosen the wrong people to seek shelter with all those years ago. Never could Law have pictured the people who used to keep him safe turning on him for one small act of rebellion. Law went completely rigid despite the fact that it caused more flaring pain in his body when he felt a spill of hot breath over the side of his neck. Law breathed shallowly, his heart beginning to race when a hand rested on his chest, like the person was checking that he was still breathing. Or perhaps they were going to break his ribs. Make him further weak and docile by causing him a lot of pain to prevent him from running. Or moving, for that matter. Law couldn't help but shiver over the thought, and couldn't help but issue out a weak whimper of protest when the hand rested heavier over his chest. Law couldn't help it. He'd seen some of the things Doflamingo's family had done that the authorities had no idea about.

"What the hell kind of a sound was that?"

Law didn't immediately relax his body, but he went a little less rigid nonetheless over the sheer relief that it wasn't one of Doflamingo's people. Even though he had barely heard the voice, Law knew that it belonged to the man from before. The one with a horrid sense of fashion.

Kid.

"Did you pass out or something?" That breath spilled over the side of Law's throat again, a fingertip brushing the side of Law's throat lightly beneath the collar before Kid sorted. "Your heart is racing, so probably not. What the hell is with the collar, anyway?"

Law wasn't going to dignify that with a response. His breathing was clearly still erratic, but Kid wouldn't stop prodding him, as if that would wake him up. Or get him to admit that he was, in fact, awake.

"Stop that." Law mumbled at last, when Kid rested a hand over his chest and then his dislocated left shoulder.

There was a pleased laugh from Kid.

"So you are awake." Another laugh, and the hand moved away. "Well, now that you're not curled up in that room, I got a question for you."

Law cracked an eye open to glare at the grinning face inches from his own.

"Who the fuck sleeps in an abandoned hospital?"

Law waited for Kid to give him some space and carefully raised himself into a seated position, back against a wall. Law looked Kid dead in the eye and lifted his good hand to present the red head with the middle finger, as he had before.

"Someone who will kill you if you keep poking my injuries." Law was shocked at how fast Kid's humor left at that announcement. No longer did the red haired man act good-humored or look ridiculous in that get up. No, Kid now looked far scarier with that scowl. At the sight of the coldness seeping into those eyes, Law was reminded of the fact that he could do nothing to protect himself without use of his powers. And in his weakened state, he wasn't likely to do very well against someone who looked to outweigh him. Not to mention that Kid would be able to strike him before Law could manage to get a hold of one of those arms to perhaps mess with the man's blood flow. Law was too exhausted to try, but he wasn't going to be cowed by that stare. "Touch my shoulder again and I'll stop your heart."

"Stop my heart, huh? While you're in that shitty state? Really?" Black painted fingernails traced the sheathed blades in a thinly veiled threat as the amber gaze narrowed. "You wanna give that a try?"


End file.
